The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-09-10


there stood the same man, in the same
position by the doorway. Il must be
deceived, it is incredible, said to my
self, still gazing with intense interest
as l drove forward.
81 was not left long in doubt, for as
/ reached point directly opposite
from the door the man came with
bound over the snow, shouting as he
did so: Halo! doctor, hallor and
snatched at the reins. Riding along SO
much at the dead OF night, l had
trained my thoroughbred Normandy SO
that with one word, which she knew,
and a peculiar pull at the reins, she
understood that she was to make her
topmost speed. The whole attitude,
voice and manner of Phil Smithson that
night looked ugly to me. He might
wish only ride to town-he might
have pal or two secreted in the old
school-house beneath the pines. At all
events l was not in the mood of taking
any thing on trust at midnight in that
desolate spot with only the pines to tell
of what might happen there. So ]
grasped tightly my lines, spoke the
magic word, and my faithful pony shot
forward just in time to escape the
strong hand upon the bit, and bound.
ing over the road left Phil Smithson far
in the rear. At that moment l heard
an ominous growl, low and deep, and
saw that Farmer Miles dog had fol-
lowed us, and stood across the track as
if to bar the way between us and any
farther advances by Smithson, and ]
could have sworn that over against the
trees the forms of two men doomed up
in the shadowy moonlight, while the
dog held Phil at bay by the roadside.
l waited no longer, but made rapid
progress toward town.
$50 happened my first visit to Far
mer Miles's, but not the last; for &
month not day passed that did MOI
Dive along that lonely road to the
farmhouse. 1 always looked for tn,
st. Bernard, but never saw him; Away
in passing the school-house l kept {
steady rein and watched for shadows
but every thing was quiet, For TIVE
years Phil Smithson did not appeal
again at Haven, and for the widow
sake l said but little of my adventure
The morning that / dismissed m,
patient said to Farmer Miles
!, "What has become of the grea
, black dog you had the night of m,
first visitP l have failed to see hin
| since
"A look of intense surprise crossed
| the farmers face as he replied: 'Wh.
Doctor, that was your dog. Ineve
7 saw him before that night
) "My dogP' l exclaimed, skeptically
t for it was my turn to be surprised
You are surely joking, Farmer Miles
l certainly never saw the dog before
I've never seen him since. l wonder
ed then that you allowed him to lie il
| the path around the bed, and have ofte
, wondered since where you kept him.
. This is very remarkable, said tn
e farmer slowly, and we thought it S
e strange that you should allow such
e monstrous fellow to go with you int
= the sick room
e 81 saw that he was speaking carr
G estly and truly; but how, in the brigf
). moonlight, down that untraveled roa,
d a dog half as big as my horse coul
}, have followed me unnoticed was pas
y all understanding. Indeed it was
e simple impossibility. No one saw hin
come with me to the house; no on
;, actually saw him go with me whom
G left. None of the maids in the kitche
e that night saw him enter there OF Q
o forth from the door. The men at the
l. supper had noticed no dog when l lai
n aside my coat and muller The womc
e in the sick chamber could not tell whe
e or how the dog had come; they notice
l him first lying on the floor short
II after my entrance, missed him aft,
s. my departure, and very naturally CO.
lie cluded that he came and went wit
d me. No trace had ever been seen
l, him since. In silence and mystery |
d appeared with me at the farm-hous
n In silence and mystery he appeart
:, mid the grove of pines, apparently #
|, my protection, then disappeared to
lie seen no more of men.
s. "For more than year l could n
II Danish the feeling that there was som
IS thing uncanny about the noble lookir
lie animal, and / am always + minded
Is the incident whenever tales of the S
k pernatural are on the tapis. l ma,
" vigilant inquiry for dog answeril
IS his description, for would have pa
lie a fabulous price to have possessed hin
lie but in vain.
j. Il can see as wildly as though
at were last night, that lonely whit